James Brown announced Friday that he is battling prostate cancer and will undergo surgery for the disease next week.

The 71-year-old performer, who's known as the hardest working man in show business, is expected to take three weeks to recuperate from the procedure.

"I have overcome a lot of things in my life. I will overcome this as well," Brown said in a statement.

Brown, who also suffers from diabetes, wrapped a two-week Canadian tour Thursday night. He is slated to release an autobiography next month, titled I Feel Good: A Memoir of a Life in Soul and plans to hype the project with a spate of appearances.

The "Please, Please, Please" singer also plans to tour Asia and Australia early next year and is set to release a new single with the Black Eyed Peas in February that will appear on their new album.

Poor health isn't the only reason the oft-legally challenged Brown has landed in the headlines this year--his marital ups and downs have also proved worthy of plenty of media attention.

Last January, the Sex Machine spent a night in the slammer after he allegedly shoved his wife, Tomi Rae Brown, during a dispute at their South Carolina home.

A month later, he filed papers seeking an annulment from Tomi Rae, claiming the 33-year-old was still legally married to another man. This action came six months after he took out a bizarre ad in Variety announcing their split.

In April, the couple announced that they actually did want to be together--as soon as they finished splitting apart. Tomi Rea was seeking to legally annul her 1997 marriage to another man to ensure that her union with Brown was legit.

Brown's lawyer said that as soon as the paperwork cleared, his client was likely to go for a marital round two with Tomi Rae.

Finally, in June, Brown pleaded no contest to a charge of criminal domestic violence resulting from the January spat.

Last December, the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer was honored at the Kennedy Center for being "one of the most influential musicians of the past fifty years."

Six of his songs--"I Got You (I Feel Good)," "Sex Machine," "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag," "It's a Man's Man's Man's World," "Say It Loud--I'm Black and Proud" and "Please, Please, Please"órecently made Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

Yahoo.com

nerdalicious

11-12-04, 01:07

:(

Hope he comes through okay, even though his Xmas song is really annoying http://www.tombraiderforums.com/images/smilies/c-1.gif